ON CURRENCY BOARD

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31340, 10 April 1967, Page 2

ON CURRENCY BOARD

Mrs Eva Dodds, the only woman member of the Decimal Currency Board recently set up in Britain to prepare to the changeover to decimal currency in 1971, might have been described at one time as a “reluctant” career woman.

As the sole woman director of the Co-operative Wholesale Society in Britain, she has an important and exacting job—but it Is in her role as housewife and typical consumer as much as any other that she has been asked by Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr James Callaghan) to become a member of the currency board to examine in detail the problems of the change-over. At her grey-carpeted office at the C.W.S. headquarters in Aidgate, London, Mrs Dodds talked about her new appointment—and about the days when, as a young, married woman with children, she was persuaded by her husband to make a career for herself outside the home.

Mr Norman Dodds, who until his death in 1965 was a member of Parliament, believed firmly that educated women should use their talents and not let them waste in a purely domestic atmosphere.

“My story is a little unusual,” Mrs Dodds agrees. “Many women with ambitions to make careers even today have to persuade their husband that life at the kitchen sink is not enough! “It is true that I would have been perfectly happy running our home and looking after our children. “I was a teacher when I first met my husband—just out of training college, and aged 21. My family had a long tradition of participation in the labour and co-operative movements, and it was at a co-operative exhibition that I first met Norman. “After we were married I want on teaching until our two sons were born. When the last war ended I was peacefully at home, doing my usual domestic things—cooking, sewing, caring for the children and so »n. A “Cabbage”

"Then one evening my husband gave me a serious talk-

ing-to! He said I was in danger of becoming a ‘cabbage.’ He believed very strongly in the contribution women had to make to building a new world, and he pointed out that since I had received an excellent education, it was up to me to put it to greater use.

“He also pointed out, prophetically, that since he was nine years older than I, the chances were that one day I

would be a widow. He did not want me to be lonely and frustrated as so many women were as widows—bereft suddenly of husband, with children grown-up, and with nothing to do outside the home.” Mrs Dodds took her husband’s advice, and began to take a very active part in the local Co-operative Women’s Guild.

Shortly after this Mr Dodds was elected to Parliament.

“We made a pact,” said Mrs Dodds. “I would stick to the co-operative movement; Norman would stick to politics.”

Soon she became a director of the Dartford Co-operative Society, and in 1956 she decided to put up for election to the board of the national society. “I was defeated, but Norman insisted I should not give up,” she emphasised. “At the third attempt, with his encouragement, I was successful.”

As only the second woman ever to be elected to the society’s board, Mrs Dodds did not find life easy at first. Some of the men did not approve of women directors—-

but today she has triumphantly overcome such prejudices. With this full-time occupation, a home and two children, Mrs Dodds still found time to speak on behalf of her husband at election times —although at first, she admits, she had to overcome a very real, natural shyness to do so. Aware Of Problems She is well aware today of the problems which face women with careers and homes to run, and also freely admits that in her own case she could never have managed without her husband’s support and practical help. “He was always willing to help,” Mrs Dodds said. “If I had to be away for several days at conferences, my husband would cope with the children, the shopping and the household chores, with the greatest goodwill.” And their sons were taught to do their share of the chores from an early age. “They quickly learned to be independent, although they always knew that both Norman and I, at any time and however busy we were, always had time for their problems,” added Mrs Dodds. Both sons are now successful in their careers, and happily married—Alan, aged 28, is a solicitor, and Brian, aged 27, is a systems analyst.

As a member of the Decimal Currency Board, Mrs Dodds hopes her work will centre on the education of the public which will be necessary to ensure a smooth change-over to the new system. “A great deal of basic, easy-to-understand information will have to be sent out to housewives, shopkeepers, and business houses of all kinds,” she said. “Since I pride myself on being an average housewife and shopper, I feel I will be most useful in understanding what will be the ordinary, everyday problems likely to arise.”